CLIENT Baltimore City Department of Public Works

CURATION 2021 - Present

LOCATION Baltimore, Maryland

SECTOR Utilities

THE CHALLENGE

Baltimore City, like many older cities around the country, was designed with a combined water and sewer sanitary system. Overflows from this system into local waterways turned into a violation of the Clean Water Act. Environmental regulators entered into a Consent Decree with the City in 2002 to address the sanitary sewer overflows intended to be complete by 2016. Following a series of improvements, including the separation of the water and sewer conveyance systems, other major challenges were identified that required additional work beyond the original deadline. In 2017, the City entered into a Modified Consent Decree (MCD) agreement, again with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) which extended the deadline for completion of this work to 2030.

EARLY ACTIONS

ASSEDO’S IMPACT

As work advances on physical improvements to the infrastructure, the City is required to keep the public updated on the progress of the work and the impact each new project that is brought online has within the City. Assedo supported the Program Management team in planning and executing the required annual public information meeting, including the first ever fully virtual event during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. After a review of educational materials, Assedo worked with the City’s communication team to develop social media campaigns dedicated to changing the behavior of City residents.